


The Beach is Cleaner on the Other Side

by allislaughter



Series: Fluffy February 2021 [19]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4, Original Work
Genre: Alien Planet, Aliens, Beaches, Fluff, Fluffy February 2021, M/M, POV Third Person, Present Tense, Robots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29562513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allislaughter/pseuds/allislaughter
Summary: Nick finds it hard to believe that somewhere in space is a near duplicate of how Earth used to be before the war. Better, even... Yet here he is.
Relationships: Nick Valentine/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Fluffy February 2021 [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138028
Kudos: 1





	The Beach is Cleaner on the Other Side

**Author's Note:**

> Day 19 of [Fluffy February](https://fluffyfebruary.tumblr.com/): Beach day!
> 
> This one is in the same setting as [Clue and Cards](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381553) and [Snowtime Fun](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29491860). Which, of course, features characters from an original setting, with part of that original setting being the characters' home planet. Since the other two fics took place in the Commonwealth I didn't feel the need to tag it as an Original Work, but since this one _does_ take place in my own original setting but features good ol' Nick Valentine, I thought I'd tag this as both Fallout and Original Work.

Nick stares out at the stretch of ocean from the end of a wooden pier, watching as the sun glitters in its reflection on the ocean waves. Dolphins play in the distance, jumping in and out of the water to the delight of the children near him. Someone shouts, not in fear, but in excitement as they fish up a flounder with the correct number of eyes on its side.

Behind him, swaying in the ocean breeze, palm trees dot the landscape, along with all sorts of tropical plants, none of which are irradiated. The beach resort is polished and pretty, with guests coming in and out without a care in the world.

He’s dreaming. He’d pinch himself if he’d think that would do any good. But no, as perfect and dreamlike as this seems, he knows this is real but that he shouldn’t be here. The sole grimy and broken person amongst families of humanoid robots.

It’s like Earth once was. Before the war, when everything was clean and “perfect”. It’s like any tropical island he would have once dreamed of visiting— not him but the old Nick— between tough cases when he was in dire need of a break. The only difference is the amenities being more advanced than he’s familiar with, and the fact that the people around him aren’t  _ human. _ Aliens. He knows from experience in the Commonwealth that aliens  _ are _ real, as much as he’d deny it, but here, where he’s on  _ their _ planet and is the alien to them...

He should have brought a cigarette. His mind is swimming with the implications of this. That somewhere out there in the universe— out  _ here _ , where he is right now— there’s a duplicate of Earth with every single plant and animal he could think of that lived before the Great War and outside of scientifically made monstrosities, but with  _ robots _ in place of humans.

Hell, even the language is the same. He doesn’t want to try and determine the probability of this happening. It is, and he’s here, courtesy of one of these “Letrisi”. One that he met under a human disguise and who he still can hardly believe isn’t actually human.

“Nick,” says the devil in question. Or angel, as the case may be. Virtue, or Virgil when pretending to be human, walks up beside him with a glass in hand, full of a frozen yellow liquid and with a tiny paper umbrella and a straw sticking out of it. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” Nick says. “It’s just that—” He stares at the drink, and it suddenly sinks in what he’s seeing. “Is that a piña colada?”

Virtue silently considers his drink and then takes a small sip. “...It’s nonalcoholic,” he states.

“...That’s not the question.”

“It is,” Virtue says. “Pineapples, coconut. No rum, of course. You know how I feel about drinking.”

Nick swipes a hand down his face. The sleeve of his coat brushes against him, and he suddenly feels overdressed around everyone else notably wearing  _ no _ clothes. Not that they need any. “This is... odd.”

Virtue nods. “I was worried it’d be a culture shock...”

“It’s more than that,” Nick says. “It’s... It’s  _ paradise. _ Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been in a place like this...? Or not  _ me, _ but...”

“It would...” Virtue takes a nervous sip of his drink. “It’d feel longer for you than for me, wouldn’t it? Despite it being, perhaps, the same amount of years.”

“Are you saying you brought the old Nick here?”

“No, no, of course not,” Virtue insists. “Really, I’ve only gotten sloppy with my work recently. I just mean, if the old Nick ever went on a vacation, it’d be around the same time I took my last one. But for me, it feels so much more recent, even if it’s long before Gear was born...”

Nick smirks. “Is he going to be disappointed you didn’t bring him for the beach vacation?”

“No,” Virtue chuckles. “He’s never been a fan of the sand. Besides, he hardly gets to see his uncle, but he sees me every day. He’ll be fine visiting Vicelock for the weekend while we have fun out here.”

Nick hesitates. “And it’s... not a problem that neither of us are  _ from _ here...?”

“...Well,” Virtue says. “Yes and no. On the one hand, everyone expects Harvest Teams to get attached to people if their assignments are on populated planets...”

Nick frowns. “And on the other hand...?”

“On the  _ other _ hand, the fact you’re a robot but look so different from the average Letrisi might get you a few bots wondering why you chose to get mods to look like  _ that.” _ Virtue chuckles. “Who knows. Maybe you’ll start a new fashion trend. Perhaps a better one than the stained glass core covers from when I was a teen.”

Nick grins. “That so? Are you sure that drink is nonalcoholic?”

Virtue laughs. “Maybe I should drink more to make sure.”

“So what else are we going to do on this beach vacation, hmm?”

Virtue smiles. “We’re going to relax. We’re going to listen to live music. We can watch the sunset without worrying about Mirelurks popping out to attack us. And most of all... We’re going to lie in bed at the resort and I’m going to catch up on sleep because I need it, and you should run diagnostics anyway because I know you need that.”

_ “Goodness,” _ Nick grins, slipping a hand around Virtue’s. “You know the way to a synth’s heart— or the equivalent, anyway.”

“Mm-hmm. I do.”


End file.
